8 must-see exercises that will help you achieve a flat belly

There are certain areas where
unwanted fat likes to hang around. For women, it’s usually around the stomach
area, and that age-old question still remains: “How do I reduce belly fat?”

Here’s the honest truth: To lose
belly fat, you need to burn more calories than you consume, ideally through a healthy diet and a combination of core-strengthening exercises and calorie-burning exercises. The strengthening exercises will help build and tone, while
the calorie-burning exercises will help reduce overall fat, including your stomach area. As LiveStrong
discusses, there is no such thing as spot reduction, meaning you can’t just
target one specific section of your belly. You must work your whole core to see
progress.

Below you'll find the eight best
exercises to help you achieve the flat belly of your dreams. These exercises
will have your core muscles burning and your forehead sweating – especially if
use them together in a workout. These exercises focus on the whole core and are
a combination of strength-builders and calorie-burners.

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1. Crunches Crunches are old school, but the key to using them is to keep going
until it burns!

Lie down on your back with your knees bent at a
45-degree angle. Place your hands across your chest and crunch upward, lifting only your upper back off the ground. Leave your lower back on the ground.
Then come back down, but just before your shoulders touch the ground, crunch
upward again. Throughout the movement, do not relax your abdominal muscles but
keep them consistently tense.

2. Mountain ClimbersThe faster you do mountain climbers, the more calories you will
burn!

Start in a high plank
position (pushup position), with your hands under your shoulders, toes on the
ground, bottom down and your body rigid. Bring one knee in to meet the
opposite elbow and then the other knee to meet the other elbow. Pick up
the pace and do this exercise as fast and controlled as possible.

3. Oblique CrunchesLike crunches, the key to oblique crunches is to keep going until
it burns!

Lie
down on your side so that one leg is on top of the other. Bend your legs
slightly and prop yourself up on one elbow. Then start to crunch upward, bringing your knee to meet your elbow. Make sure to tense your oblique muscle
throughout the whole movement. Then swap sides.

4. Plank JacksIf you keep your core super tight during this exercise, you can
target all of the core muscles!

Start in plank position with your forearms on the
ground, your body rigid and your bottom down. Begin with your feet together, and then
jump them outward and back together. Keep your abs tensed throughout the
sets, and try to keep at a high intensity.

Lie
down on your back with legs extended and hands by your side. Slowly raise
your legs up until they reach vertical. Once they reach vertical, continue
lifting until your hips also come off the ground. Then slowly bring your legs
back down, but before they touch the ground, raise them back up again. Make sure
you keep pushing your back into the ground so that it does not arch during the
movement, and keep your abs tense throughout the whole set.

6.
Crossover With ReachThe
faster you reach, the more calories you burn!

Start by lying on your back
with your legs bent and feet flat on the ground. Then lift your upper back off
the ground and curl your torso to the right, extending your arms by reaching
across your body to your right foot. Return to the starting position and repeat
on the other side.

7.
Hip HikeThis
move is challenging, so if you need help keeping your balance, place one foot in front of
the other.

Lie down on your side, with one foot on top of the other. Place your hand directly under your shoulder and
lift your hip off the ground so that you are in a side plank. Lift your hips up toward the ceiling as high as possible and then return to
the original position.

8.
Reverse CrunchDo
not allow yourself to rest between sets. Keep the burn!

Start by lying on your back
with your legs bent and feet flat on the ground. Place your hands behind your
ears. Then slowly bring your knees in toward your chest and at the same time
lift your shoulders and upper back off the ground. Return to your original
position.

Core exercises not only
help build a great-looking midsection but also help your overall body.
There are many benefits, including balance, posture and pain reduction. Check
out some of these other benefits discussed by Mayo Clinic:

- Improve balance and stability
- Can be done at home without any gym memberships or equipment- Tone abs - Make you stronger, making it easier to do other physical activity

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So create a core workout
from these awesome eight exercises. Over time, this workout will help you reduce
body fat, build a strong core and achieve that bikini belly you have been dreaming of. Enjoy!